This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Compressors are used in a plurality of technical areas in industrial environments as well as domestic environments, mainly for increasing the pressure of a gas or liquid. Compressors may be used in a multiple configuration, in which two (2) or more compressors operate in parallel. A tandem or other multiple (3, 4, 5, etc.) compressor system may be operated in a single compressor state, with a subset or with all compressors, thereby providing a wide range of capacity.
Compressors must provide steady performance during operation time. Compressors operating in a tandem configuration often run into the challenge of balancing oil levels between them. If the oil level in one of the compressors were to get too low, adverse effects (e.g. oil starvation) may manifest themselves. Thus, it is important to constantly monitor the lubrication properties of the oil in the compressor to allow smooth operation of the compressor. Historically, a carefully designed and calibrated orifice in the suction manifold has been used to achieve a desired pressure differential for fluid in flow in order to balance the oil levels.